[나우뉴스] [우주를 보다] ‘Real Mars’ spreading before my eyes… Tianyuan No. 1 video released in China

▲ Chinese spacecraft Tianyuan 1 that entered Mars orbit and photographed the surface.

China’s National Port and Heaven Agency (CNSA) announced that the spacecraft Tianwon 1 had successfully entered Mars orbit at 7:52 pm (8:52 pm Korea time) on the 10th. The National Harbor and Heaven Bureau also released a two-minute video to commemorate the Lunar New Year in Korea.

Tianyuan 1, which left Earth on July 23 last year and flew 475 million km for 7 months, settled on the capture orbit with the engine running for 15 minutes that day. The released video captures Tianyuan 1’s brightly lit Mars in a dark space.

In this video, taken with two cameras mounted on the track, you can also see Tianyuan 1 shaking with vibration for a while after the engine is ignited. The planet’s surface, which fades from bright white to black, and the crater that appears white are also striking.

▲ On the 5th (local time), the National Space Agency of China (CNSA) first released a picture of the surface of Mars taken by the Mars rover’Tianyuan 1′. CNSA provided

Tianyuan 1 is scheduled to orbit for three months in the future to determine the expected landing area. Between May and June, the lander and rover are sent down to the surface of Mars. The estimated landing area is 3300 km in diameter and is the Utopian Plain, the largest crater area on Mars. The Utopia Plain, which is believed to contain a large amount of ice, is also the site of the Nasa Viking 2 landing in 1976.

Upon arrival at the landing site, the surface of Mars is investigated for the geological structure of the soil, atmosphere and water.

▲ Chinese Mars exploration spacecraft Tianyuan 1

Meanwhile, it is the sixth time that a Chinese spacecraft entered Mars orbit after the United States, the former Soviet Union, the European Space Agency (ESA), India, and the UAE. This is the second time that China has launched a Mars probe. If it arrives safely, it will be the third country to land on Mars after the United States and the former Soviet Union.

China is showing off its space exploration and exploration capabilities of successfully entering Mars orbit in two months after placing five star red flags on the back surface of the moon last December and bringing rocks and soil samples to Earth.

Currently, Tianyuan 1 is orbiting Mars in an orbit 400 km from Mars. China’s National Port and Heaven Bureau said, “The Tianyuan 1 is designed to enter orbit, land, and explore in a single mission,” said China.

Reporter Song Hyun-seo [email protected]